Devonport High School for Boys 11+ guide

Applying to Devonport High School for Boys for September 2028? This guide covers the Plymouth 11+ (Quest Assessments) plus the DHSB writing paper, the qualifying score, how the 180 Year 7 places are allocated and the key dates for September 2028 entry.

Devonport High School for Boys 11+ at a glance

• School type: boys' grammar school
• Location: Plymouth, Devon
• Admissions contact: admissions@dhsb.org
• Number of places in Year 7: 180 (2027-entry figure — Devonport High School for Boys confirms each year's admission number in its determined arrangements, published the spring before entry.)
• Qualifying score: No fixed pass mark is published. Boys need a qualifying mark in both the external English and maths papers and the DHSB English writing paper. Results come as an A, B or C letter, and an A means scoring at or above the 180th-placed candidate.
• 11+ test: Plymouth 11+ (Quest Assessments) plus the DHSB writing paper (two multiple-choice Quest papers of about 40 minutes each, plus a DHSB writing paper)
• Catchment or priority area: no — places are not allocated by catchment area

Source: Devonport High School for Boys Year 7 Admission Policy 2027/28. Last checked October 2026.

Key dates for September 2028 entry

Devonport High School for Boys confirms its exact dates in the spring before each cycle. The windows below follow the 2027-entry timetable: registration ran from the summer term of 2026 to Monday 31 August 2026, the test took place on Saturday 12 and Saturday 19 September 2026 and results were due on Friday 9 October 2026. We'll update this page as soon as the school publishes its 2028-entry dates.

How to apply to Devonport High School for Boys

Devonport High School for Boys is selective, so your child needs to sit the 11+ test to be considered for a place.

You register your son using the 11+ registration form on the DHSB website, which the school posts during the summer term.

Once you have your child's result, you apply by naming Devonport High School for Boys on your common application form, which goes to your home local authority. For September 2028 entry the deadline is Sunday 31 October 2027. As it falls on a Sunday, you may find it easier to submit your form in the days before.

Reaching the qualifying score makes your child eligible, but it doesn't guarantee a place. If more qualifying children apply than there are places, the school uses its oversubscription criteria, set out further down this page.

What will my child be tested on?

DHSB uses the Plymouth 11+ provided by Quest Assessments, the same English and maths papers sat by girls applying to Plymouth's two girls' grammar schools. Boys applying to DHSB also sit a writing paper set by the school.

There are three papers. On the first Saturday your son sits the Quest English reading paper and the DHSB writing paper; on the second Saturday he sits the Quest maths paper. Each Quest paper lasts about 40 minutes plus time for instructions. The Quest papers are paper-based and non-adaptive. All questions are multiple choice, usually with five options (A to E). Answers go on a separate answer sheet rather than being written out: your son draws a clear horizontal line through the box next to his chosen answer. Nothing beyond the Year 5 national curriculum is assessed.

Your son's rank comes from the average of the two Quest papers. He must also pass the DHSB writing paper. The school hasn't published the length or mark scheme for the writing paper.

DHSB usually runs free familiarisation sessions for Year 5 boys in June, and posts free Quest practice papers on its 11+ familiarisation page.

Quest Assessments doesn't respond to individual enquiries from parents. Questions about the test go to the school you're applying to, and Plymouth City Council's admissions team handles questions about admissions and results.

The official familiarisation materials for the Plymouth 11+ are on the Quest Assessments parent guidance page. Read our guide to the Quest Admissions exam for what the test looks like and how it's marked.

The table below shows what each paper covers.

How are places allocated at Devonport High School for Boys?

If more children reach the qualifying standard than there are 180 Year 7 places, Devonport High School for Boys offers places in the order below. This order comes from the school's admissions policy for 2027/28. The school sets its 2028-entry policy separately, and we'll update this table if anything changes.

Boys in Category A with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) naming the school are admitted before these criteria are applied. Category A boys (at or above the 180th candidate on the external papers, with a qualifying mark in the DHSB English paper) can be considered for a place; Category B boys qualify for the waiting list; Category C boys have not qualified. Criterion 3 covers 174 places and criterion 4 up to six.

Does Devonport High School for Boys have a catchment area?

DHSB doesn't give priority by catchment area: places follow test rank, and distance from home is used only as a late tie-break. Plymouth City Council allocates places, and families hear on the first working day in March.

Tied positions are settled in this order: boys receiving the Pupil Premium or service premium at the date of testing; children of staff employed at the school for two years or more, or recruited to a skill-shortage post; the mark on the DHSB English paper; distance from home to school in a straight line, using Plymouth City Council's mapping system; and finally a random number generator supervised by the local authority.

If you don't live close to the school, it's worth thinking about how your child will get there every day. How long will the journey take? What transport options are available? Will they be travelling independently or with support?

A longer or more complex journey can affect your child's daily routine, including how much time they have for homework, rest and after-school activities. It's a good idea to think about how manageable the school run will be and whether it will work for your family day to day.

How can I help my child prepare for the Plymouth 11+?

Quest Assessments publishes official familiarisation materials for the test, and that is where families should start. Atom is not an authorised source for this test and has no access to its content. The guidance below is about building the skills the test draws on.

The curriculum doesn't change

The test draws on the Key Stage 2 curriculum, which is the same material every 11+ test is built from. Atom Home covers that curriculum with over 100,000 teacher-written practice questions across English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, so the work a child does is useful whichever test they end up sitting.

Find the gaps early

Atom's progress insights show which topics and question types a child finds hardest, so revision goes where it's actually needed rather than across everything equally.

Practise the conditions, not the questions

Atom's mock tests are built to give children practice working to time, reading an answer sheet and holding their nerve for a full paper. Each one returns a Standardised Age Score and a breakdown of where accuracy dropped under timed conditions.